The night was dark and the moon was high in the sky when they drove back to their home. Serenity held her tongue the entire drive, unsure what to say. Now that they were here, she realized all the guests were gone, but Damien sent one of his staff next door with his brother Mitch's car to return it. He always seemed to know what to do. She couldn’t even think right now. He placed his hand on her back in the driveway and led her into the mansion.
With a blank mind, she followed and without a word, Damien led her to his room and began packing a bag. “Paris?”
Huh? She tried to shake off the cold ledge her mind seemed stuck on and sank to the edge of the bed. "I don't know if we should go anywhere."
He took briefs from a top drawer and put them in the suitcase. "Nothing is going to happen for at least a week. We should still go."
This felt wrong. Running away never solved problems. She stood and walked to the edge of the closet. "I didn't even know your sister was pregnant."
Her own stomach quaked. If she lost her baby, she’d be devastated. Her words must have gotten through because Damien stopped and his face became slightly darker. She flipped on the light in the closet to see him clearer. Finally, he nodded, put the bag on his bureau in the closet and stood in front of her. "Me either, but this isn't your fault."
Serena was her sister and she’d targeted his family. She hadn't cared if she hurt anyone, so yes, in supporting her sister still, part of the blood was on her hands. She placed her hand on the wall for support. "I don't want to go to Paris right now."
Damien brushed her hair out of her face. "Where do you want to go then?"
Nowhere. She glanced down and stared at his row of black shoes against the wall. If he insisted, she'd do something, but Paris was too far. She swayed on her feet. "Somewhere closer, just in case. How about New York?"
He shrugged and picked up his cell phone. "Let me talk to my pilot." He continued packing a few button-down shirts though she hadn't lifted a finger to go through her things. He hung up his phone. "Done, though we need to sit and wait for clearance."
Why did he even want to go anywhere right now? She hugged her waist. "I never, ever thought Serena would do that."
He stopped, turned and hugged her. "It's done. We both learned our lesson about meddling with the justice system."
Now that was the truth. She let go of his shoulder. She took a deep breath and swallowed. "True. But I don't think we should fly anywhere, Damien. Let's just stay home and be there for our family and friends. We can go anywhere we want to later, when we both feel more in the mood."
He walked into the bedroom with her. "Okay, I'll cancel the plane."
He took out his phone from his back pocket again and she unpacked his bag for him. She heard him hang up and put the last set of briefs in the drawer he’d taken them from.
She returned to the bedroom and sat beside him on the bed. "Thanks. Can you tell me what's going on with Gilbert Fineroy or at least what you're planning to do? I don't want you in danger."
He held out his hand for her and she took it, holding him close and listening to her heartbeat grow steadier as Damien said, "Part of my business has always been collecting information for my father. I made it clear I'd only ever do above-board activities but it's easier than you think to get people to spill corporate secrets."
Her mind tried to conjure an image of his father, her father and, somehow, she pictured Damien behind a door listening and writing everything down. It wasn't what he’d said, but part of her still needed a clearer understanding. She lifted her chin and hoped she sounded reasonable. "So this is SEC stuff?"
He shook his head and she knew he hesitated. She stilled, put one foot on the bed and turned toward him. Finally, Damien told her, "Gilbert is far worse than securities fraud. He's running a human sex trafficking ring and kidnapping young women."
"That's horrible. How did you find out?" Her stomach churned. No one should suffer like that! She’d read articles about this happening in the United States, right now, and nobody realized. One man responsible had sat at her wedding today. How had he managed to look like any other guy she’d ever met?
Damien let out a sigh he must have been holding. "One of my employees has a source in his accounting department. She followed the money trail, told me about it and I had her put in witness protection. I'm having the information verified through a second source to ensure the FBI has a complete case."
She heard the pride in his voice, but this was why a police force existed. Damien needed to keep his hands clean now that he was a husband and soon-to-be father. The idea that Gilbert was a guest at her wedding while she was unaware of his crimes rubbed her skin the wrong way. She held Damien's hand in her lap. "Why not give them what you have and be done?"
Damien squeezed her palm lightly and kissed her cheek. "Because the FBI and I have to work under a different set of rules and I don't want Gilbert to profit when in a few days, maybe much less, I can have everything verified and give them an airtight case."
Nobility was a special layer of Damien she hadn’t expected. She'd been so wrong to assume he was just like her father. She nodded, and just hoped less meant tomorrow and all the girls Gilbert had in servitude were saved. Serenity met Damien's dark eyes and felt her own body melting for him. "Part of what I find attractive about you is your devotion to justice. Just promise me you'll be safe."
He kissed her other cheek. "I'm not involved... I promise."
Damien was the opposite of the bad boy she thought he'd been. She licked her lips and stared at his mouth. "Good, because now that I know, I hate Gilbert and hope you finish this quick."
"I will." His hand brushed against her collar and shoulder.
Damien's gaze grew darker. She pressed her lips together, wanting to clarify something before she kissed him. "What we have are bad fathers. How did yours use you to get information for him?"
Damien sat back but still held her hand. "He said I was more useful to him if I did certain things. I made my limits clear, though as a teenager I really wanted his approval. As a grown man, I’d already inherited this business, though I invest more of my time and energy to my real estate business/corporate takeover company that I run with my brother, Galen."
At least everything Damien had accomplished wasn't about his father, and he'd done so much more. Damien was clearly a better choice for a partner than she’d thought, originally, and perhaps if they helped their families heal from what her sister had done, and if she could forgive herself, then they had a chance.
She lowered her head. "My spa was my refuge though my father only ever saw it as a hobby. When my father was arrested, my “hobby” was already a thriving business."
He lifted her chin and met her gaze. "I mean it—I can help put you in every metropolitan city in a few years and we can promote your business to be one of the most successful."
She'd never imagined Calm Serenity that large, but she knew Damien wouldn't use it as a front business for nefarious schemes. She trusted that, but she wasn't ready to make that choice either. "Let me think about what I want. So far we're doing well, but let's take it day-by-day."
He motioned with his head toward the pillows. "Let's go to bed. I want to see how your body is different now that you're having my baby."
True. Tonight was their wedding night. And despite her protests, she hoped this might be exactly what she needed. Damien was better than she imagined so she let herself believe they were possible.